1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors, and is more particularly concerned with electrical connectors which offer zero insertion force to printed circuit boards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors which exhibit a zero insertion force for printed circuit boards and the like are generally well known in the art. These connectors usually include contacts which are moved away from a contacting position with a printed circuit board to a non-contacting position to provide interference free entry and exit of a printed circuit board. A variety of contact moving structures, including inclined plane and other camming mechanisms, have been utilized to move the contacts between the contacting and non-contacting positions.
It is also well known in the art to provide an open ended circuit board slot in a connector so that a circuit board may be slid in from the end of the connector. In this type of zero insertion force connector, a rotatable locking mechanism has been utilized to define limits for positioning of a circuit and prevent withdrawal of the circuit board when the connector is not in a zero force condition.
For additional information concerning electrical connectors of the zero insertion force type, one may refer to U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 3,611,259; 3,638,167; and 3,697,929.